The month's trial over, Oliver was formally apprenticed. It was a nice sickly season just at this time. In commercial phrase, coffins were looking up; and, in the course of a few weeks, Oliver acquired a great deal of experience. The success of Mr. Sowerberry's ingenious speculation, exceeded even his most sanguine hopes. The oldest inhabitants recollected no period at which measles had been so prevalent, or so fatal to infant existence; and many were the mournful processions which little Oliver headed, in a hat-band reaching down to his knees, to the indescribable admiration and emotion of all the mothers in the town. As Oliver accompanied his master in most of his adult expeditions too, in order that he might acquire that equanimity of demeanour and full command of nerve which was essential to a finished undertaker, he had many opportunities of observing the beautiful resignation and fortitude with which some strong-minded people bear their trials and losses.
一个月的试用期结束了，奥利弗正式成为了学徒。此时正是疾病肆虐的好季节。用商业用语来说，就是棺材正在涨价。在短短几周的时间里，奥利弗积累了大量经验。苏尔伯雷先生别出心裁的点子大获成功，甚至超出了他最乐观的估计。最年长的居民都想不起来还有什么时候麻疹像现在这样盛行过，很多小孩子因此送了命。小奥利弗多次率众走在送葬队伍前头，帽子上系着一条直拖到膝盖的黑带子，这让镇上所有的母亲都有种说不出的赞赏和激动。奥利弗也随他的主人参加了大部分成人的送葬队伍，这是为了让他获得镇定的风度和自控能力，这些对一位完美的送葬人来说是至关重要的。这时他有很多机会去观察一些意志坚强的人在承受考验和损失的时候，所展示出的令人钦佩的达观的态度和坚韧的精神。
For instance; when Sowerberry had an order for the burial of some rich old lady or gentleman, who was surrounded by a great number of nephews and nieces, who had been perfectly inconsolable during the previous illness, and whose grief had been wholly irrepressible even on the most public occasions, they would be as happy among themselves as need be—quite cheerful and contented—conversing together with as much freedom and gaiety, as if nothing whatever had happened to disturb them. Husbands, too, bore the loss of their wives with the most heroic calmness. Wives, again, put on weeds for their husbands, as if, so far from grieving in the garb of sorrow, they had made up their minds to render it as becoming and attractive as possible. It was observable, too, that ladies and gentlemen who were in passions of anguish during the ceremony of interment, recovered almost as soon as they reached home, and became quite composed before the tea-drinking was over. All this was very pleasant and improving to see; and Oliver beheld it with great admiration.
例如：苏尔伯雷先生奉命为一位富有的老太太或老先生举行葬礼，死者身边围着很多侄儿侄女，他们在死者生病期间伤心欲绝，在大多数公共场合他们也完全无法抑制自己的悲痛，私下里却是要多开心有多开心——相当兴高采烈、心满意足——他们快活地在一起聊天，无拘无束，就好像压根没有发生过什么烦心事一样。丈夫们也以最英勇的状态沉着冷静地忍受丧妻之痛。妻子们为丈夫穿上丧服，远非出于自身的悲痛，而似乎是下定决心要把这一身给丈夫尽量穿得既得体又迷人。还看得出来那些在葬礼仪式上极度痛苦的女士先生们，几乎一到家就马上恢复过来了，还没等喝完茶就又变得相当泰然自若了。所有这些看起来都令人愉快，颇有教益，奥利弗怀着极度钦佩之情把这些看在眼里。
That Oliver Twist was moved to resignation by the example of these good people, I cannot, although I am his biographer, undertake to affirm with any degree of confidence; but I can most distinctly say, that for many months he continued meekly to submit to the domination and ill-treatment of Noah Claypole: who used him far worse than before, now that his jealousy was roused by seeing the new boy promoted to the black stick and hatband, while he, the old one, remained stationary in the muffin-cap and leathers. Charlotte treated him ill, because Noah did; and Mrs. Sowerberry was his decided enemy, because Mr. Sowerberry was disposed to be his friend; so, between these three on one side, and a glut of funerals on the other, Oliver was not altogether as comfortable as the hungry pig was, when he was shut up, by mistake, in the grain department of a brewery. And now, I come to a very important passage in Oliver's history; for I have to record an act, slight and unimportant perhaps in appearance, but which indirectly produced a material change in all his future prospects and proceedings.
尽管我是奥利弗·特威斯特的传记作者，我也没有丝毫的信心来担保，在这些好人榜样的影响下他变得听天由命了。但是我可以毫不含糊地说，他几个月来一直顺从地忍受着诺亚·克雷波尔的支配和虐待。他对待奥利弗比以前厉害多了，因为他看到这个新来的男孩已经提升到了拥有黑手杖和帽带的地位，而自己资历比他老，却还是戴着松饼帽，穿着皮裤，没有任何长进，不由对奥利弗产生了嫉妒之意。夏洛特对他也不好，因为诺亚这么做；苏尔伯雷夫人是奥利弗的死敌，因为苏尔伯雷先生想和他成为朋友；所以，一边有这三位，另一边有一大堆葬礼，奥利弗活得还不如一头挨饿的猪，特别是当他被错关进酿酒厂谷仓里的时候。现在，我写到了奥利弗往事中非常重要的一段，这一幕看起来可能微不足道，却间接给他未来的所有景象和前程都带来了重要变化。
One day, Oliver and Noah had descended into the kitchen at the usual dinner-hour, to banquet upon a small joint of mutton—a pound and a half of the worst end of the neck—when Charlotte being called out of the way, there ensued a brief interval of time, which Noah Claypole, being hungry and vicious, considered he could not possibly devote to a worthier purpose than aggravating and tantalising young Oliver Twist. Intent upon this innocent amusement, Noah put his feet on the table-cloth; and pulled Oliver's hair; and twitched his ears; and expressed his opinion that he was a "sneak"; and furthermore announced his intention of coming to see him hanged, whenever that desirable event should take place; and entered upon various topics of petty annoyance, like a malicious and ill-conditioned charity-boy as he was. But, making Oliver cry, Noah attempted to be more facetious still; and in his attempt, did what many small wits, with far greater reputations than Noah, notwithstanding, do to this day when they want to be funny; he got rather personal. "Work'us ," said Noah, "how's your mother?” "She's dead," replied Oliver; "don't you say anything about her to me!”
一天，奥利弗和诺亚在平时吃晚饭的时间下楼来到厨房，来享用一小块羊肉——一磅半脖子上最差的一段——那会儿夏洛特被叫出去了，接下来有一个短暂的时间间隔，诺亚·克雷波尔又饿又凶，想想也没有什么更有价值的事情好做，还是逗一逗小奥利弗·特威斯特，把他惹生气吧。诺亚下定决心要进行这项无害的娱乐，他把双脚放在桌布上，拉扯奥利弗的头发，揪他的耳朵，并且发表了奥利弗是个“鬼鬼祟祟的人”的看法，此外还宣布打算将来要看他上绞架，不论那件令人向往的事情什么时候发生，他又讲了很多相当令人讨厌的事情，把一个恶毒而坏脾气的慈善学校男生能想出来的都说了。但是，要让奥利弗哭出来，诺亚还得努力尝试变得更诙谐；尽管很多人有些小聪明，名气也比诺亚大得多，他们想逗趣时往往会采取一种做法，而诺亚也这么做了；他开始对奥利弗进行人身攻击。“济贫院来的，”诺亚说，“你妈妈呢？”“她死了。”奥利弗回答，“不要对我说关于她的任何事！”
Oliver's colour rose as he said this; he breathed quickly; and there was a curious working of the mouth and nostrils, which Mr. Claypole thought must be the immediate precursor of a violent fit of crying. Under this impression he returned to the charge.
奥利弗说这话的时候涨红了脸，呼吸急促，他的嘴巴和鼻子奇怪地动着，克雷波尔先生认为那是一场号啕大哭即将来临的前兆。在这种想法之下，他重新获得了主动权。
"What did she die of, Work'us?" said Noah.
“她怎么死的，济贫院来的？”诺亚问道。
"Of a broken heart, some of our old nurses told me," replied Oliver: more as if he were talking to himself, than answering Noah. "I think I know what it must be to die of that!"
“因为心碎死的，有个老护士告诉我的。”奥利弗答道，与其说他在回答诺亚，倒不如说他是在对自己说话。“我想我知道那样死去是怎么回事。”
"Tol de rol lol lol, right fol lairy, Work'us," said Noah, as a tear rolled down Oliver 's cheek. "What's set you a snivelling now?”
“咜嘚啰啰啰，真是太蠢了，济贫院来的。”诺亚这么说着的时候，一滴泪珠从奥利弗的脸上滑落。“是什么让你这么哭哭啼啼的？”
"Not you," replied Oliver, sharply. "There; that's enough. Don't say anything more to me about her; you'd better not!”
“不是你。”奥利弗尖声回答，“好了，够了。别再跟我说任何有关她的事情了。你最好不要！”
"Better not!" exclaimed Noah. "Well! Better not! Work'us, don't be impudent. Your mother, too! She was a nice 'un she was. Oh, Lor!” And here, Noah nodded his head expressively; and curled up as much of his small red nose as muscular action could collect together, for the occasion.
“最好不要！”诺亚惊叫，“哟！最好不要！济贫院来的，别太不要脸了。你妈妈也是！她是个美人，是这样。噢，上帝！”说到这儿，诺亚意味深长地点点头，同时还用尽全力把他的小红鼻头皱起来，
"Yer know, Work'us," continued Noah, emboldened by Oliver's silence, and speaking in a jeering tone of affected pity: of all tones the most annoying: "Yer know, Work'us, it can't be helped now; and of course yer couldn't help it then; and I am very sorry for it; and I'm sure we all are, and pity yer very much. But yer must know, Work'us, yer mother was a regular right-down bad 'un.”
“你知道，济贫院来的，”奥利弗的沉默鼓舞了诺亚，他继续说道，嘲讽的语气里带着装出来的同情，这是所有语气中最讨厌的，“你知道，济贫院来的，现在你帮不上忙了，当然那时你也帮不上，我很抱歉，我相信大家都很抱歉，也特别同情你。但是你得知道，济贫院来的，你妈妈是个彻彻底底的贱女人。”
"What did you say?" inquired Oliver, looking up very quickly.
“你说什么？”奥利弗飞快地抬起头来问道。
"A regular right-down bad 'un, Work'us," replied Noah, coolly. "And it's a great deal better, Work'us, that she died when she did, or else she'd have been hard labouring in Bridewell, or transported, or hung; which is more likely than either, isn't it?”
“一个彻彻底底的贱女人，济贫院来的。”诺亚冷冷地回答，“而且那样真是好多了，济贫院来的，她死的真是时候，要不然她就得去感化院做苦工，或者被流放，再不然就得被绞死，这种结果比其他两个更有可能，是不是？”
Crimson with fury, Oliver started up; overthrew the chair and table; seized Noah by the throat; shook him, in the violence of his rage, till his teeth chattered in his head; and collecting his whole force into one heavy blow, felled him to the ground.
奥利弗气得脸变成了深红色，他猛地跳了起来，*翻推**桌椅，一把扼住诺亚的咽喉，拼了命地疯狂摇晃；奥利弗气得直咬牙，直把牙齿咬得咯嘣作响，这时他用尽全身力气给了诺亚重重一击，把他摔倒在地。
A minute ago, the boy had looked the quiet child, mild, dejected creature that harsh treatment had made him. But his spirit was roused at last; the cruel insult to his dead mother had set his blood on fire. His breast heaved; his attitude was erect; his eye bright and vivid; his whole person changed, as he stood glaring over the cowardly tormentor who now lay crouching at his feet; and defied him with an energy he had never known before.
一分钟前，这个男孩看起来还是个安静的孩子，是个因为饱受虐待而温和顺从、闷闷不乐的人。但终于，他的脾气被激发出来了，诺亚对他死去的母亲的残酷*辱侮**让他怒火中烧。他站得直直的，胸膛剧烈起伏，眼睛明亮有神，他站在那儿，愤怒地瞪着那个怯懦的施虐者，现在他蜷伏在他脚边；奥利弗整个人都变了，他以一种前所未有的力量挑战了诺亚。
"He'll murder me!" blubbered Noah. "Charlotte! missis! Here's the new boy a-murdering of me! Help! help! Oliver's gone mad! Char—lotte!”
“他会杀了我的！”诺亚号啕大哭，“夏洛特！夫人！新来的男孩儿要杀了我！救命！救命！奥利弗发疯啦！夏——洛特！”
Noah's shouts were responded to, by a loud scream from Charlotte, and a louder from Mrs. Sowerberry; the former of whom rushed into the kitchen by a side-door, while the latter paused on the staircase till she was quite certain that it was consistent with the preservation of human life, to come further down.
诺亚的叫声得到了回应，夏洛特尖叫了一声，而苏尔伯雷夫人叫得比她还响。前者从一扇侧门冲进了厨房，后者在楼梯上停下，直到她相当确信去厨房不会危及自己的性命，这才又往下走去。
"Oh, you little wretch!" screamed Charlotte: seizing Oliver with her utmost force, which was about equal to that of a moderately strong man in particularly good training. "Oh, you little un-grate-ful, mur-de-rous, hor-rid villain!” And between every syllable, Charlotte gave Oliver a blow with all her might: accompanying it with a scream, for the benefit of society.
“噢，你这个小流氓！”夏洛特尖叫着，用最大的力气抓住奥利弗，那力气堪比一个受过特别训练的相当强壮的男人。“噢，你这个小没——良——心的，杀——人——犯，可——怕的恶棍！”每说一个音节，夏洛特就用尽全力揍奥利弗一下，并发出一声声尖叫，这都是为了在场人的利益。
Charlotte's fist was by no means a light one; but, lest it should not be effectual in calming Oliver's wrath, Mrs. Sowerberry plunged into the kitchen, and assisted to hold him with one hand, while she scratched his face with the other. In this favourable position of affairs, Noah rose from the ground, and pommelled him behind.
夏洛特的拳头绝对算不上轻，但是，惟恐它没法有效地平息奥利弗的怒火，苏尔伯雷夫人冲进厨房，一只手帮着抓住他，另一只手在他脸上乱抓一气。在这种有利形势下，诺亚从地上爬起来，从后面连续用拳头揍奥利弗。
This was rather too violent exercise to last long. When they were all wearied out, and could tear and beat no longer, they dragged Oliver, struggling and shouting, but nothing daunted, into the dust-cellar, and there locked him up. This being done, Mrs. Sowerberry sunk into a chair, and burst into tears.
这种*力暴**的运动没法持续太久。当他们都累得精疲力竭，没力气再厮打了，就把不断挣扎叫喊却毫不气馁的奥利弗拖进了放垃圾的地窖，锁了起来。干完这事，苏尔伯雷夫人瘫在椅子上，哭了起来。
"Bless her, she's going off!" said Charlotte. "A glass of water, Noah, dear. Make haste!"
“上帝保佑她，她又犯病了！”夏洛特说。“拿一杯水来，诺亚，亲爱的。要快！”
"Oh! Charlotte," said Mrs. Sowerberry: speaking as well as she could, through a deficiency of breath, and a sufficiency of cold water, which Noah had poured over her head and shoulders. "Oh! Charlotte, what a mercy we have not all been murdered in our beds!"
“噢！夏洛特。”苏尔伯雷夫人挣扎着说道，她喘不过气来，并且诺亚在她头上和肩上泼了些凉水，她觉得泼得有些多了。“噢！夏洛特，我们没有在睡梦中被杀死是多么幸运啊！”
"Ah! mercy indeed, ma'am," was the reply. "I only hope this'll teach master not to have any more of these dreadful creatures, that are born to be murderers and robbers from their very cradle. Poor Noah! He was all but killed, ma'am, when I come in.”
“啊！确实很幸运，太太。”夏洛特回答道，“我只希望老板能接受教训，不要再招惹这些可怕的东西了，他们生来就是杀人犯和强盗，从在摇篮里起就是。可怜的诺亚！我进来的时候，他差点就被打死了，太太。”
"Poor fellow!" said Mrs. Sowerberry: looking piteously on the charity-boy.
“可怜的伙计！”苏尔伯雷夫人说着，同情地看着慈善学校学生。
Noah, whose top waistcoat-button might have been somewhere on a level with the crown of Oliver's head, rubbed his eyes with the inside of his wrists while this commiseration was bestowed upon him, and performed some affecting tears and sniffs.
诺亚背心的第一颗扣子可能已经和奥利弗的帽顶差不多在同一个高度，他受到这番怜悯同情，用手腕内侧擦了擦眼睛，抽泣着，流下了令人感动怜悯的泪水。
"What's to be done!" exclaimed Mrs. Sowerberry. "Your master's not at home; there's not a man in the house, and he'll kick that door down in ten minutes.” Oliver's vigorous plunges against the bit of timber in question, rendered this occurance highly probable.
“这要怎么办？”苏尔伯雷夫人惊叫。“你们主人不在家，这屋子里连个男人都没有，用不了十分钟，他就会把那扇门踢倒啦。”奥利弗正对他们谈论的那块木板大力拳打脚踢，使这件事发生的可能性大大提高。
"Dear, dear! I don't know, ma'am," said Charlotte, "unless we send for the police-officers.”
“天啊，天啊！我不知道，太太，”夏洛特说，“除非我们派人把警察请来。”
"Or the millingtary," suggested Mr. Claypole.
“或是叫*队军**来。”克雷波尔先生建议道。
"No, no," said Mrs. Sowerberry: bethinking herself of Oliver's old friend. "Run to Mr. Bumble, Noah, and tell him to come here directly, and not to lose a minute; never mind your cap! Make haste! You can hold a knife to that black eye, as you run along. It'll keep the swelling down.”
“不，不。”苏尔伯雷夫人说，她想起了奥利弗的老朋友。“快跑去邦布尔先生那儿，诺亚，告诉他马上到这里来，一分钟也别耽搁，别管你的帽子了！要快！你可以在跑的时候拿把小刀贴在那只青了的眼睛上。它会消肿的。”
Noah stopped to make no reply, but started off at his fullest speed; and very much it astonished the people who were out walking, to see a charity-boy tearing through the streets pell-mell, with no cap on his head, and a clasp-knife at his eye.
诺亚没有回答，而是全速出发了，这让外面的路人非常吃惊，他们看见一个慈善学校的学生匆匆忙忙地飞快穿过街道，帽子都没戴，眼睛上还贴了一把折叠刀。